Attempting Love Chapter 3
by mikimagic20
Summary: Chapter 3! They are finally speaking. Things might calm down now? Maybe. Enjoy. ;


The three were heading straight into the storm. The waves were getting rough and the wind was getting stronger.

"Mmf!" Noodle struggled to stay put on Russel's head, and at the same time tried to hold onto 2D.

"Hold on tight ya'll!" Russel yelled over the storm.

Noodle held on tight to 2D.

"Ughh..." 2D's eyes opened slowly to rain falling hard on him. "Huh?" he looked up to see a masked stranger holding onto him. Where was he? Who was this? He began to freak out.

"N-NO!" 2D broke away from Noodle and sat up, only to realize he was stranded...before he could look around and think, Noodle grabbed his arm and pulled him back, forcing him to sit down.

"S-STOP! Please lemme' go!" he yelled over the storm, still trying to escape Noodle's grip.

"2D STOP!" she yelled and grabbed his face, having him look at her.

Wait...this girl knew his name...?

He stared straight into the Oni mask. Both were silent for a moment. 2D looked down. He was on a head. What the fuck was going on? Wait...

"R-Russel?" 2D called down to him.

"Long time no see D!"

"Wha-what? 'Ow did I..? Wha'?" 2D's head was beginning to hurt from all of the confusion.

"Quit yo' blabberin' and just hang on man!" Russel called. "Stay close to Noodle! She don't need ta' dive in afta' you again!"

2D turned his face back to the mask.

"...N-Noodle?"

Noodle said nothing, just gently held his face in her hands.

2D moved his hands to her face, hesitated, and then went to lift her mask. Noodle's hands moved to his wrists, of which she gripped hard, warning him not to touch her mask.

2D flinched.

"No." she said sternly.

"Ow' do I know...yer' really Noodle?" he asked.

"That's a...stupid thing to say." she answered.

2D looked down...then back up at her. The feeling in his chest was strong.

"No...yew are Noodle...I know it."

Noodle's grip loosened up.

"How do you know then?" she asked.

"I..."

The conversation was quickly broken when a huge wave crashed against Russel.

"HANG ONNN!" Russel yelled.

The two struggled to stay on, as both of them grabbed onto each other. Noodle looked ahead to see an even bigger wave...almost as big as a tsunami. Her eyes widened under her mask.

"2D! That wave will knock us off for sure!" she called over the storm.

2D looked at the wave and panicked.

"Wha'da we do?" he freaked out.

Noodle took 2D's hand and held it tight.

"We will be thrown into the water...but we have to try and stay together, so don't let go of my hand if you can help it?" she gripped his hand tightly.

2D looked at her and squeezed her hand back. He sighed heavily and nervously nodded.

They both looked at the huge wave coming at them. 2D flinched and tightened his grip on Noodle's hand as the wave crashed over them, pushing Russel over and knocking them both into the sea.

The current in the water was very strong and the two struggled to hold onto each other. 2D squirmed around in the water, holding his breath and trying to grab Noodle's other hand. She reach for him as well and struggled to stay close to him. Finally the two reached each other and grabbed each other's opposite hand. As 2D tried to pull Noodle towards him, he felt like she was getting pulled away from him. The current was too strong, and Noodle slipped right out of 2D's grip.

"Noo!" 2D yelled underneath the water as Noodle was taken away by the undertow.

Noodle desperately tried to swim up, but the current kept pulling her under. She was losing breath fast...she was just so tired...

Meanwhile 2D mustered up some strength and swam to the surface. He emerged from the water while gasping for air as the storm still happened all around him. The waves tossed around as he floated around, looking everywhere for Noodle.

"Noodleeee!" he screamed. He looked around frantically, when he spotted something floating a few feet away from him. It was Noodle's Oni mask! He gasped and began to swim over to it, when he suddenly saw Noodle emerge from the water. She gasped for air and tried to stay afloat, but she was so exhausted, her legs wouldn't hold out. Her eyes got heavy as she began to sink into the ocean again. 2D saw this and swam faster towards her.

"N-no! No no no!" he managed to grab Noodle and pull her up before her whole head went under.

"Mmmf!" 2D struggled to hold her up, but somehow found the strength to hold her up to where her head was staying above the water. Noodle coughed up some water, then slumped her head to the side. 2D held her in his arms, trying to figure out what to do in the midst of all of the chaos around them.

"Noodle! What shood' we do now?" he asked.

She didn't respond.

"Eyyy c'mon Noodle! Dun' do dis'!"

He shook her a bit, then lightly nudged her face.

"C'mon stay wif me love..."

Noodle opened her eyes and looked at 2D, groaning softly.

2D sighed with relief.

"Noods..."

"2D...I'm so tired..." her eyes were bloodshot and barely open. her face was covered in cuts and bruises. He had a better look at her face now...it was the face he had seen earlier...it was her.

"Dun' worry Noods! I'll get us out of dis!" 2D got Noodle to move onto his back. She weakly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hold on love!" he began swimming...struggling because of Noodle's weight on his back...but swimming. He didn't know where he was going, or what he was doing...or if they were going to live or die...but Noodle had saved his life...so he had to find a way to save hers. He had no idea where he acquired all of this courage all of the sudden, and the fact that he was still shaking in his boots...but he couldn't just sit there. He kept swimming around as the waves continued to toss the two around. 2D was already starting to get tired.

2D's breaths got heavier and heavier as the rain fell harder. He could feel himself begin to sink at certain points, but quickly tried again to stay up for Noodle's sake.

Then he felt it.

He felt a force so strong smash up against the back of him, he couldn't even describe it. It knocked Noodle right off of him, then completely submerged him in the water. He didn't even have time to scream.

As the waves continued to toss 2D around, he frantically tried to swim...to the right, left, up...anywhere that wasn't taking him downward. He then felt himself get pushed forward, the force pulling him getting stronger and stronger. As he got pushed into this unknown area, he felt his feet run through...sand?

The water was getting more shallow! Meaning he was getting pushed towards land! 2D then stopped fighting the waves and let them carry him to shore. He was roughly washed up onto a beach by the waves, where his face hit the sand.

"Aghh!" he groaned as he smacked against the wet sand. He lay there for a few minutes, trying to catch his breath and find the strength to move again. His breaths began to get more calm...and the waves began to lap more gently at the shore. He turned over and looked up at the sky. The storm was heading away, and the sunset was beginning to flood the sky in orange. 2D couldn't help but stare at it...for it was absolutely lovely...

As the water gently caressed his feet, he suddenly remembered Noodle. He gasped and shot up. His boots were full of water and sand, so he quickly removed them. He got to his feet and shaded his eyes, looking out to sea. He looked all around...but couldn't find any trace of Noodle or Russel. He scanned the shore...nothing. A look of pain crossed his face.

She was gone.

2D couldn't move. His heart began to hurt a lot. He couldn't save her...she saved his life...and yet he couldn't even get her to shore. He felt so weak...

He put his hands to his face, trying to pull himself together.

He couldn't stay here...wherever he was. He looked around at his surroundings. The island was beautiful...full of greenery and mountainous ranges...where was he? He decided to keep walking along the shoreline and search around to see if, by some miracle, there was a chance of civilization out there. So he began walking.

Meanwhile, Russel waded his way to shore on the opposite side of the same island 2D had washed up on. He noticed the beaches had people on them...some were leaving to go home for the day, and some were still laying on the beach or out in the water. As he reluctantly made his way to shore, knowing the reaction he would get from people about his huge size.

2D continued to walk. He'd been walking for about thirty minutes now...or so he estimated, since there was no way to tell time, except by the sun, which he really wasn't good at doing anyway. The sun was still setting, still lingering right over the sea like a huge orange bulb. 2D sighed. He looked down at his body. His clothes were still damp, a bit more dry then before though. They were tattered and all messed up from being tossed around so much. He had no shoes, and although he had only been walking for half an hour, his feet were aching from all of the walking. There was dried blood under his nose and bruises all over his body from being smacked around. It was going to be dark soon...and still no sign of civilization. He closed his eyes and sighed again. He decided to sit down on the shore, looking out at the sea. His thoughts were going everywhere...he was not calm at all...even if he seemed like it on the outside. He thought of Noodle. Seeing her face...the joy and relief he felt seeing her alive again. She was his little pal; his mate...he thought she was gone...but she was alive this whole time. Then she was gone...torn away in a matter of seconds.

He felt tears start to well in his eyes.

He sniffled, then almost angrily wiped them away. Really? He was crying? What a wimp he was...

2D was silent, only hearing the sounds of the waves lapping at his legs and the seagulls above.

Then...something weird.

2D had a strange feeling to look to his right...as if he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see a huge flock of seagulls wandering around on the beach. He observed the seagulls as they landed temporarily, then flew away again. The suddenly, almost all of the seagulls ascended, nearly all at once, up into the sky. 2D thought it was a marvelous sight. He looked back down the shore where there were only a few seagulls left, and, to his surprise, he spotted something unusual. He sat up more and shielded his eyes with his hand. He squinted hard and realized that he was looking at...a person! It was a person lying face down in the sand! He stood up and began walking towards the person. He looked harder...it was a girl. She had black hair highlighted with...purple...

She had on a white dress...with stripped stockings.

2D's eyes widened.

Noodle.

2D began to run towards Noodle's limp body, nearly tripping in the sand. Even though his feet hurt, he made himself run faster. He was almost to her, scaring away the remaining seagulls. He slid onto his knees and quickly knelt beside Noodle.

"Noodle!" he looked down at her...she was soaking wet, as if she had just gotten washed up to shore. He gently turned her over onto her back. Her eyes were closed and she didn't seem to be breathing. 2D was frantic. He picked Noodle up and carried her up onto the shore near a few trees. He sat in the sand under a tree and laid Noodle onto the sand.

"Noodle? C'mon Noods! Um...oh God...bloody 'ell..."

He had no idea whatsoever to do...he didn't even know CPR...so he did the only thing he could think of...

He lifted Noodle into a sitting position and held his hand up. He hesitated.

"I'm sorry Noods." was all he said before slapping her in the back with a loud "SMACK!"

"AGHHH!" Noodle screamed as she choked up tons of sea water. She began coughing and choking some more, then vomiting. She got on her knees as she vomited into the sand, still coughing. Then she moaned and fell over onto her side. 2D quickly rushed over to her and turned her over, holding her close in his arms.

"Noodle? Noodle?" 2D gently shook her.

"Mmmm..." Noodle moaned softly as she slowly opened her eyes.

"...2D?"

2D sighed with relief.

"Yeah." was all he said.

"You're...here..." Noodle said weakly.

2D only gave a small smile.

"Where...are we?"

"I'm not sure..." he looked down at Noodle who was looking into his eyes.

"I'm...so happy that you are alright..." she managed to crack a small smile...it was the sweetest little thing 2D had seen in a while.

"Noodle..." he held her close and locked her in a tight hug, catching her off guard a bit.

"2D..."

"Ow' did you survive tha' windmill crash?"

"Oh...that...I got lucky I guess." she smiled again.

2D hugged her tighter, his arm were still shaky.

"I..." 2D stuttered.

"Are you alright?" Noodle asked weakly.

"...I missed yew..." 2D said quietly.

Noodle put her arms around 2D's neck and hugged him tightly.

"Oh hush now..." she whispered as she snuggled her head into his chest.

2D only smiled.

"Noodle?"

"What is it?"

"Is it all ova'?"

"...Yes. It's all over 2D."

"...Good."

The two stayed in each other's arms...neither really felt like moving at the moment. They were just happy to be alive... and happy to see each other again. And the nagging feeling both had in their chests earlier had disappeared completely. 2D felt like a huge weight was lifted off of his heart. All of these years he thought little Noodle was gone...but she had been alive all along. Here was Noodle, his little mate, laying awake in his arms. Even though she wasn't so little anymore, she was still like a little sister to him...and definitely one of his closest friends, if not, his closest.

Although Noodle didn't say much, she was so happy to be in the arms of her best friend. After all the hell she'd been through...somehow...being in the presence of 2D seemed to calm her. Oh she was still angry about many things; with the band and especially Murdoc, but having 2D there with her, for some reason, made everything okay...at least for a moment.

"You know, between you and me...I missed you too..." Noodle said softly.

2D just smiled and kept holding Noodle. After everything that had happened today, they were here.

They were alive.

And nothing could take them away from this moment.


End file.
